Attenberg

Attenberg

Film poster
Directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari
Produced by Maria Hatzakou
Yorgos Lanthimos
Iraklis Mavroidis
Athina Rachel Tsangari
Angelos Venetis
Written by Athina Rachel Tsangari
Starring Ariane Labed
Vangelis Mourikis
Evangelia Randou
Yorgos Lanthimos
Cinematography Thimios Bakatatakis
Edited by Matt Johnson
Sandrine Cheyrol
Release dates
  • 8 September 2010 (Venice)
  • 9 December 2010 (Greece)
Running time
 93 minutes
Country Greece
Language Greek

Attenberg is a Greek drama film, written and directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari.[1] The film was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 67th Venice International Film Festival[2] and Ariane Labed won the Coppa Volpi for the Best Actress.[3][4] It was filmed in the town of Aspra Spitia, in the Greek region of Boeotia.[5] The film was selected as the Greek entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards,[6][7] but it did not make the final shortlist.[8]

Plot

Marina, a sexually inexperienced 23 year old woman, lives with her terminally-ill architect father, Spyros, in an industrial Greek town by the sea.

Unable to relate to her fellow humans, she lives her life through the wildlife documentaries of Sir David Attenborough, the songs of Suicide and the sex education lessons given to her by her friend Bella.

Despite her sexual inexperience, Marina's relationships show warmth and thought. Spyros, contemplative as he approaches death, shares with her how he believes, "Man has designed ruins with mathematical accuracy..." referring to the destiny of most architecture, eventually. But then cynically, he reflects that " We (Greece) went from sheep to bulldozers...'

When a stranger comes to town, Marina has her first sexual relationship with him. She is secretive. Telling first Spyros and later Bella. Spyros asks of course, "If you do not want me to meet him, why are you telling me about him?"

As Spyros come closer to death, Marina asks Bella to sleep with her father, as a favor for a dying man, whom she duly obliges. Meanwhile, Marina begins a sexual relationship with the stranger.

The film reaches its conclusion after Spyros's passing, where the last scenes are of Bella and Marina scattering his ashes in the sea.

Cast

Reception

Quentin Tarantino, who was head of the Jury for the 67th Venice International Film Festival, said that the film "grew on us the most, and showed another Greece".[3][4] Journalist Shane Danielsen called the film "an intellectually rigorous, quietly wrenching Greek drama".[9] Peter Bradshaw characterised the film as "an angular, complex, absorbing and obscurely troubling movie".[10]

Promotion

A promotional picture for the film, where the tongues of two women meet, was censored on Facebook,[11] but Facebook now hosts a profile for the film in which the picture is allowed.[12]

Awards

Event Category Nominee Result
Venice Film Festival [2][13][14] Coppa Volpi for Best Actress Ariane Labed Won
Golden Lion Athina Rachel Tsangari Nominated
Lina Mangiacapre Award Athina Rachel Tsangari Won
Whistler Film Festival [15] New Voices Award for Best International Feature Athina Rachel Tsangari Won
Thessaloniki International Film Festival [16] Special Jury Award - Silver Alexander Athina Rachel Tsangari Won
Angers European First Film Festival [17] "Mademoiselle Ladubay" Best Actress Prize Ariane Labed Won
Mexico National University International Film Festival (FICUNAM) [18][19] Silver Puma for Best Director Athina Rachel Tsangari Won
Audience Choice Award Athina Rachel Tsangari Won
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema [20] Best Director Athina Rachel Tsangari Won
International Women's Film Festival [21] Best Feature Award Athina Rachel Tsangari Won
Hellenic Film Academy Awards [22] Best Actress Ariane Labed Won
New Horizons Film Festival [23] Grand Jury Prize Athina Rachel Tsangari Won
Romanian International Film Festival [24] Best Film Award Athina Rachel Tsangari Won
European Parliament Film Prize [25] LUX Prize Athina Rachel Tsangari Runner-up
AFI FEST [26] Special Jury Prize Athina Rachel Tsangari Won

See also

References

  1. ↑ Rose, Steve (2011-08-27). "Attenberg, Dogtooth and the weird wave of Greek cinema". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Venezia 67". labiennale.org. 2010-07-29. Archived from the original on 1 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Clarke, Cath (2011-08-18). "First sight: Ariane Labed". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jennings, Sheri (2010-09-11). "Tarantino talks about Venice 2010 competitors; explains awards rule change". screendaily.com. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  5. ↑ "Attenberg". athensnews.gr. 2011-02-05. Retrieved 2011-02-05.
  6. ↑ "Oscar 2012: Attenberg Is Greece's Best Foreign Language Film Submission". altfg.com. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  7. ↑ "63 Countries Vie for 2011 Foreign Language Film Oscar". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
  8. ↑ "9 Foreign Language Films Vie for Oscar". Retrieved 2012-01-19.
  9. ↑ Danielsen, Shane (2010-09-10). "Venice ‘10 | Miike, Affleck, Gallo, & More Make Venice a Fest that Ended Too Soon". indieWire. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  10. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (2011-09-01). "Attenberg – review". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  11. ↑ "Kyssande tjejer tas bort från Facebook", Dagens Nyheter, 6 May 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  12. ↑ Picture on Facebook, from images on the Facebook profile for Attenberg.
  13. ↑ Knegt, Peter (2010-09-11). "Coppola’s "Somewhere" Surprises As Venice’s Big Winner (Updated)". indieWire. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  14. ↑ "Collateral Awards". labiennale.org. 2010-09-11. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  15. ↑ "Whistler Film Festival - New Voices Award for Best International Feature". Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  16. ↑ "51st TIFF: The awards (12/11/2010)". tiff.filmfestival.gr. 2010-11-12. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  17. ↑ "2011 Palmares". premiersplans.org. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  18. ↑ "Silver Puma for Best Director". Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  19. ↑ "Audience Choice Award". Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  20. ↑ "BAFICI 2011 Best Director Award".
  21. ↑ Silverstein, Melissa (2011-04-17). "The Jury Awards - International Women’s Film Festival 2011". indieWire. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  22. ↑ "HFA 2011 Best Actress Award".
  23. ↑ "New Horizons IFF to 'Attenberg'". 2011-04-31. Retrieved 30 December 2011. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ↑ "RO-IFF Best Feature Prize to 'Attenberg'". Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  25. ↑ "The European Parliament Film Prize: three films to compete for the LUX Prize". luxprize.eu. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  26. ↑ "AFI FEST Special Jury Prize to 'Attenberg'". Retrieved 30 December 2011.

External links